Apr 8, 1998

Don't be afraid to roll and tie the boneless leg of lamb yourself. The butcher may make prettier knots, but it's only important to tie the roast at regular intervals (about every 2 inches), tying them tight. The object is to keep the rolled roast together and to even it out so there are no really thick parts or really thin parts.

Boiling the garlic takes away the sharpness and makes it sweet.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

12 large cloves garlic (peeled)

4 pounds boneless leg of lamb

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup coarsely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a roasting pan at hand.

Boil the garlic in a small saucepan of water over medium-high heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until just tender. Drain and chop coarsely.

Lay the lamb on a clean work surface, fat side down. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the cooked garlic and parsley out evenly over the meat. Starting on a short side, roll the meat up. Using kitchen twine to tie the meat at 2-inch intervals. You may need to tie the meat once the long way to secure the ends. Season with salt and pepper to taste; use the oil to evenly coat the outside of the rolled leg of lamb.

Transfer to the roasting pan; roast for 30 minutes, then turn the lamb over. Roast for 25 minutes, turn the lamb over again and start checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer, inserting it in the thickest part of the rolled lamb. For medium-rare, remove when the temperature registers 140 degrees. The temperature will continue to rise, to 145 degrees, at which point the lamb will be medium-rare. For medium lamb, continue roasting, taking the temperature every 10 minutes. The lamb can take between 60 and 90 minutes to reach 160 degrees, depending on its size.

Let the lamb sit for at least 10 minutes or until just cool enough to handle. Discard the kitchen twine before cutting into slices for serving.

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